One hundred years ago this week, a terrible automobile accident killed four of Seattle's prominent citizens -- each of whom made their mark on the city's history. On March 30, 1915, Thomas Prosch, his wife, Virginia McCarver Prosch, artist Harriet Foster Beecher, Emily Carkeek, and Margaret Lenora Denny were traveling back to Seattle from Tacoma after a meeting of the Washington Historical Society. As they approached the Riverton Bridge in Allentown -- now part of Tukwila -- the driver of Carkeek's car swerved to avoid two children. The vehicle plunged into the Duwamish River, and only Carkeek and her driver, Paul Kumai, survived.

Denny was the daughter of Seattle founder Arthur Denny and was 4 years old when her father and the rest of his party landed at Alki Point in 1851. She was also one of the first students at the Territorial University, which later became UW. Harriet Foster Beecher was a noted painter, and is believed to have opened Seattle's first art studio, in 1881. Her paintings were shown in many regional and national exhibitions, including the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

In 1886 Prosch sold his newspaper and focused his energy on documenting Washington history. As one of the region's earliest and most learned historians, he often was called upon to speak at a variety of historic events. Prosch and his wife are interred at Lakeview Cemetery on Seattle's Capitol Hill. If you visit them, look directly to the west and you'll find the gravestone of Walt Crowley, another journalist/historian of note.

Sporting Tourney

Hey sports fans -- take note of March 26. It was on that day in 1917 when the Seattle Metropolitans hockey team won the Stanley Cup. The city wouldn't see another national sports championship until the Sonics won the NBA crown in 1979.

Lest we forget, March 26 is also the day we bade a spectacular farewell to one of our more controversial sports venues. It was 15 years ago on that day in 2000 when the Kingdome was imploded -- one day short of the 24th anniversary of its opening.

News Then, History Now

Heat of the Battle: In the 1850s many Native Americans rose up against treaties largely dictated by Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens, and one of the bloodier engagements of Washington Territory's 1855-1858 Indian Wars took place at the Cascades of the Columbia on March 26, 1856. The battle site is now home of Bonneville Dam.

Streets of Seattle: On March 31, 1889, Seattle's first electric streetcar took to the streets and was an immediate success. The people of Seattle officially took over operation of the city's streetcar lines on April 1, 1919, but the date of the deed should have given someone pause. It soon turned out that Seattle Mayor Ole Hanson had paid a grossly inflated price of $15 million and accepted disastrous terms to acquire the private system from the giant utility cartel Stone & Webster, which had gobbled up all local streetcar lines by 1900.

Wedding Plans: Not that long ago, marriages between men and women of different races were not only frowned upon, but banned by many states, including California, where Gunjiro Aoki and Gladys Emery fell in love. The press tracked their elopement to Seattle, which had no such restrictions, and the couple tied the knot on March 27, 1909, at Trinity Parish Church.

Miss Spokane: On March 29, 1912, Marguerite Motie became the first Miss Spokane, the city's official hostess. Her reign lasted until she married in 1920, but she continued to don her costume whenever civic leaders requested her presence at important events. A new Miss Spokane wasn't chosen until 1939, and various women took on the role until the title was retired in 1977.

Heading North: On March 30, 1988, Helen Thayer set out to become the first woman to make a solo journey to the magnetic North Pole, which she reached on April 18. Six years later, on April 1, 1994, she and her husband, Bill, traveled back to the Arctic Circle to spend a year studying gray wolves.

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